News Desk : dhakamirror.com
Bishwa Ijtema is set to take place in two phases from January 31 to February 9 next year, as announced today by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
The first phase will be held from January 31 to February 2, with the second phase from February 7 to 9, he said following a meeting with representatives of Tabligh Jamaat at the secretariat.
According to a ministry notification issued yesterday, the home adviser had scheduled a meeting with the representatives of both factions of Tabligh Jamaat — those following Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, and others following Maulana Zubair Hassan — regarding the security of Ijtema. However, only Saad’s peers attended the meeting.
The meeting discussed several issues, including the ground preparedness, law and order, handover of the ground, providing visa to guests, overall safety of VVIPs, VIPs, traffic control, and setting up control rooms, water supply and sewerage system.
Moreover, it discussed measures to prevent disasters and accidents, first aid for the devotees, management of temporary shops, eviction of slums and illegal establishments, monitoring of sale of hygienic food at Ijtema venue, removal of obscene movie posters and measures to reduce traffic congestion on the day of Akheri Munajat.
Asked which groups will hold the congregation first, Jahangir said the decision will be made at another meeting and announced in due course.
The Tabligh Jamaat has been hosting the Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi since 1967 and introduced the phase system in 2011 to better manage the growing number of participants.
